"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My fathher, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my fathers hand. I and my Father are one."
John 10: 27-29 NKJV
Who do you listen to? We all have a few trusted family or friends that we can turn to for counsel when we need it. I have a few christian guys who, if I needed help, would do just that. We all need people close to us to guide us when we're troubled. However, being able to discern just where this advice is originating from can be just as important. It may come as a surprise to some, but scripture has more than a few places where God chose to speak personaly with his people. Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, Moses and Abraham just to name a few. It wasn't just the Isrealites who God chose to hear his voice, either. There were more than a few people who were in opposition to God who also heard from him. My point is this, if God REALLY wants to tap you on the shoulder and whisper in your ear, he's going to do just that.
I know what your thinking, sure God talked with people, but that was in the bible and everyone knows that the bible is unreliable, right? Well, that will be a discussion for another time. The point here is, if God has proven that he can and will communicate with his creation if he chooses to, how will we recognize his voice? Could it be as simple as listening to someone around us? John 10: 27 tells us that Jesus' sheep not only hear his voice, but they follow him. Now, I'm of the opinion that these "sheep" that Jesus is speaking of are the followers of Christ. After all, he is described, among other things, as "The good shepherd." I'm sure this was a pretty good illustration that Jesus used in a society where shepherding sheep was a common practice. Is it that hard to imagine, that if God wanted to speak to us today, that he could use other people to relay that message? Taking that one step further, could the creator of the universe use just about anything to get our attention? This is where discernment can come in handy. There are certainly plenty of messages out there in this world. Which ones, if any, are from God? Will we know his voice when he calls us?
Wait, what about that other voice out there? Certainly, if God can choose to communicate with us, then could Gods adversary, satan, do just the same thing? We've all heard that infamous monicker "The devil made me do it!" I believe that the influence of satan is certainly out there among us. After all, we are a fallen, sinful people.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8 NKJV
Not only is satan described as our adversary, but apparently he prowls around loooking for people to devour! The anology here, beware of this beast! While Jesus is described as "The good shepherd", satan is refered to as a vicious, roaring lion. Again, another good example this time by the apostle Paul. So, how are we to know which of these voices to heed? Well, it's not scientific, but I believe that we all have a built in moral compass that God has blessed us with. This guide to moral stability in each of us is what has been refered to as our conscience. Of course, whether we choose to heed what our conscience tells us is another issue altogether. I believe that God is more than able to speak with us today, are we actively listening?
~Scott~
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